Odd One Out
by littlemisslibrarian
Summary: "Wow, you are stupid. You want to give up your position as an alpha to join THEM? We are not sisters," Heidi barked as she turned her back on Daisy. Daisy held her ground. "This is who I am, and you can't stop me." But inside, she wasn't so sure.
1. Chapter 1

Humphrey padded into the warm cave with the weight of the fat rabbit he just caught straining his neck. Kate smiled and ran her tongue over her three beautiful pups. One was tan, one was black, and one was grey. The black one-already acting like an alpha-dashed to the rabbit and immediately started eating. Humphrey laughed.

"David, leave some for your sisters. Boys aren't superior."

"What's superior," David mumbled through a mouthful of rabbit. His green eyes glittered with curiosity.

"It means better than someone else. So males and females are equal. Besides, we outnumber you, so we have the advantage," Kate chimed in.

"You're such a hypocrite," Humphrey said teasingly.

"What's a hypocrite?"

"Oh dear…" Humphrey sighed. He was about to tell his son when his daughter Daisy—the tan pup—tackled him from behind.

"Look Mommy! My first prey," she squeaked, gripping Humphrey's tail with her teeth. Humphrey laughed and shook her off. It was hard, because she was nearly six months old-old enough to go to alpha school. In fact, tomorrow would be her first day. _My little babies are growing up,_ he thought sadly as he ate his share of the rabbit. Heidi, the grey wolf and his youngest daughter by three minutes, barely ate anything because she was talking about how excited she was.

"My first day of alpha school! Yippee! I bet I'm going to learn lots of cool tricks, but I'll never be as cool as mommy! I can't believe you outran bears! And sled on a log! And rode a train!"

"Alright, little ones," Kate said sweetly when dinner was over, "Go to bed now. You have a big day tomorrow."

Kate and Humphrey lay next to each other and stared at the half moon that shone into the cave. The stars twinkled cheerfully, but Humphrey felt just the opposite.

"Kate?"

"Yes," his mate replied wearily.

"What is it called when your little ones are leaving, and you feel really lonely and depressed? Isn't it eggless nest syndrome?"

Kate giggled. "_Empty_ nest syndrome. I know how you feel, dear," she said softly as she rasped her tongue over Humphrey's ear. "Don't worry. Every couple goes through it. Our pups will be fine. They were born strong, and they had a great father."

"You're forgetting the mother," Humphrey added before resting his head on his paws and closing his eyes, his mind filled with dreams of his pups' futures, not all of them good.


	2. Chapter 2

"Race you to that tree stump," David challenged the other pups. They had reached the alpha school so early that the leader of the pack hadn't returned from hunting-something they would soon learn. The other pups squealed gleefully and ran toward the large stump. They crashed into something a few meters closer than the tree stump. The result was a huge tangle of little legs and heads. Daisy looked up and gasped.

"Winston! Grandfather! What are you doing back here so early?"

"The hunt was quick. We came home with a caribou. Speaking of prey, let's learn the first lesson of hunting: stalking. Now, I'll stalk across that clearing, so you can see how it's done. Then we will play a game of Red Leaf Green Leaf. You approach me by stalking, and if I hear you I'll turn around. Some prey won't notice you if you stand still, just like in the game, but you should still be quiet. Got it? Good. Let's go."

David wagged his tail. Red Leaf Green Leaf was his favorite game when he was a pup. He watched in awe as his grandfather, despite his old bones, sunk to his belly and moved fluidly across the clearing. He could only hear the slightest whisper of tall grass, that could have been mistaken for wind anyway. Finally, Winston called across the clearing, "Now you try!"

The pups did their best to imitate the pack leader. The early-fall sun, still strong, heated David's back. His black fur grew hot quickly, and he was grateful that it was still early enough for the dew to stay on the grass. Then he broke concentration and, not looking where he was going, stepped on a twig. The crack from the tiny stick echoed around the clearing, and Winston jumped up and spun around. David flattened his ears against his head and pressed his belly to the ground.

He heard a "Whoa" as Heidi shifted her weight too far and fell over. The grass rustled where she fell. Winston rolled his eyes, but David could tell he was holding back a laugh.

"Heidi, go back to the beginning."

The stalking race was almost complete by the time the sun was high in the sky. It was down to him and Daisy. Daisy was the quietest, and also moved the most efficiently. David was envious of her slim build. It would be very useful for hunting.

"Very good, guys," Winston congratulated them as they all reached the other side of the clearing. "We are going to learn a few more techniques today, then we'll try out your skills on real prey tomorrow."

The pups practiced their hunting skills all day, and by the time they arrived back at their cave they were worn out. They excitedly told their parents about how Winston made everything seem like a game, and that they mastered stalking, pouncing, biting, and scenting. When they finally retired to their nests, curled up for warmth in the cooling night, Kate smiled proudly.

"See? I told you they would be fine!"

Humphrey grinned back. "You're always right, Kate."

Kate laughed. "And don't you forget it."

* * *

The next day, the pups returned to the alpha school clearing, enthusiastic for another lesson.

"Okay. Let's go into the forest. Be very quiet, and remember to scent."

Daisy nodded solemnly. She had been taking her lessons very seriously, and she was looking forward to contributing to the pack.

She set her paws down carefully, thankful for the pine needles that were quieter than deciduous leaves. The scent of squirrel flooded her nose, and she followed the scent trail. She could see that the squirrel hadn't been climbing trees, for some reason. Finally, she found out why. The squirrel was right in front of her, limping. An easy kill, and she would put it out of its misery. She tensed the muscles in her hindquarters, preparing to leap. Then the squirrel looked at her.

The two animals were locked in each other's gaze, neither daring to move. Daisy could see the pain and fear in the squirrel's eyes. It could smell her. It was young, still in the prime of life. And those eyes shone with intelligence. This was no mindless piece of prey. This was a real animal, with feelings and hopes and fears, just like her. She turned away, and the squirrel saw its chance and ran. _Okay. So I can't kill squirrels. No big deal. I'll try mice, or caribou. They seem pretty stupid,_ she reasoned with herself. But a little voice in her head was taunting her. _Winston's gonna kill you,_ it chanted.

A thin paw stomped by her, snapping her out of her thoughts and back to reality. A vegetarian. Her lips were still blue from her recent "meal."

"What were you doing to my pet squirrel? Surely you weren't thinking of killing him," she said threateningly. Her breath smelled of berries, sickeningly sweet.

"Who? Me? Never," Daisy sputtered. The vegetarian sniffed, but let her go. She ran off. Then the vegetarian turned and shouted, "My names Ashia, by the way!" Daisy rolled her eyes. Then she slunk back to Winston and told him that she didn't have any luck with prey. She hated lying to the pack leader, but how was she supposed to explain what she felt about squirrels?


	3. Chapter 3

Two weeks into alpha school, and Daisy still couldn't kill any animals. Every time she tried, she just hesitated when she saw the fear in their eyes. Her family was beginning to grow concerned. Kate, who had been through alpha school, consoled her daughter one night when she had returned empty-pawed once again.

"Daisy, I may not be able to know how you feel, but I have an idea. When you go in for the kill, look away or think of something else."

"Mom, I tried that, but it won't work. I guess I'm not a real wolf." Daisy glanced down below the cave entrance where the vegetarians were stringing flowers together. _Maybe they felt the same way I did. But they're still real wolves. Weird, but real. I should go talk to them._

When Kate had sadly went back into the cave, Daisy bounded down the cliff, falling halfway. She got up, embarrassed by unhurt, and cautiously approached the vegetarians. The lame squirrel recognized her and hid behind Ashia.

"You're Daisy, aren't you? The same cub who almost killed my squirrel," the vegetarian said in a friendly voice. Daisy didn't let her guard down.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Listen, I know how you guys feel about animals. I can't kill them because I look in their eyes, and I see feelings. They are creatures just like us. And ever since, I've been very hesitant about eating meat. I try to think about other things, but I don't eat much."

It was true. The pup's ribs showed, even though fall hadn't diminished the food supply that much.

"Ah! Welcome to the veggie side! Wanna try a berry," Ashia's friend Stella said, tossing Daisy a branch. Daisy took it and hesitantly popped a berry into her mouth. It was good! The tartness surprised her, making her eyes water, but it was juicier than meat, and it had almost the same texture. Daisy smiled, showing blue teeth. The vegetarians giggled. They spent the evening together.

When Daisy returned home, she glanced at the moon. It was almost time for the moonlight howl. The moon would be full in a few days. Humphrey glared at her, his tail bristling.

"Where have you been? You missed dinner! Your wonderful mother here just caught a fat caribou, and I know caribou is your favorite meal."

"Not anymore, Dad. Caribou, squirrels, rabbits, and all those other animals have feelings just like us. I can't bring myself to stain my muzzle with blood that's as red as mine."

"Deep words for such a little cub," Humphrey said, stifling a laugh at Daisy's indignant expression at being called little. "But they died so we could live. It's who we are. We're carnivores. If we were born to be vegetarians we would have teeth like rabbits. See these fangs," Humphrey announced, pulling his lips back to reveal his set of long, sharp teeth. "We were born with the ability to kill."

"But the vegetarians have those teeth, and they survive just fine."

"Well, the vegetarians are something else. Don't tell me you're becoming one of them," Humphrey said teasingly. Daisy shuffled her paws awkwardly. She didn't want to disappoint her father, but she just couldn't bring herself to eat meat.

"Actually…um…I sorta…agree with them," she whispered. Humphrey perked his ears. Daisy lowered hers. Kate woke up with a snore, obviously overhearing the conversation. So did Daisy's brother and sister.

"Wow, you are stupid. You want to give up your position as an alpha to join THEM? We are not sisters," Heidi barked as she turned her back on Daisy. Daisy held her ground.

"This is who I am, and you can't stop me." But inside, she wasn't so sure. Did following your heart mean disappointing your family and making enemies? If so, then maybe she was better off just sucking it up and pretending she was teasing. She was just about to burst out laughing and say it was all a prank, but she remembered her newfound friends, Ashia and Stella. They would be disappointed, too, if they thought she was making fun of them. They were bullied enough already. Overcome by her stupid indecisive heart, she tore herself away from the eyes drilling holes into her fur, and ran through the woods. The fresh air, untainted by the smell of caribou from the night's dinner, cleared her mind somewhat.

"I'm going to talk to my grandparents. They're so wise; they'll know what to do." With that, Daisy took off again and arrived at Houston and Eve's cave. Houston was muttering golfing terms in his sleep. A lump on his head showed that he still hadn't gotten the hang of the sport. Daisy prodded the former alpha gently.

"Grandfather?"  
"Hm," Houston grunted. He slowly turned to face Daisy.

"What is it, little alpha?"

"What happens when a wolf can't hunt?"

"Well, disabled wolves still have a place in the pack."

"No, I mean, what if said wolf couldn't bring herself to kill or eat meat, because she believed that prey had feelings too?"

"I'd say that wolf was crazy. But no, they wouldn't be able to be an alpha. Alphas hunt. If you don't hunt, then you are not fit to lead a pack. The vegetarians are always looking for company, though."

"Thanks, Grandpop," Daisy said, trying to keep the sadness out of her voice. She would be losing her position as an alpha, her family's appreciation, and any chance of having a mate if she joined the vegetarians. But pretending got tiring when she tried to do that, and she couldn't deny her beliefs. Finally, she turned back and went to sleep. But when she tried to enter her family's den, her siblings barred her way. Humphrey and Kate shooed them off, and Daisy slept between them like she did when she was younger and she had nightmares. Now life was a living nightmare, and she wanted nothing more than to go back to her pre-alpha school days, when her hardest decision was what game to play next.


	4. Chapter 4

When Daisy woke up the next day, she made her decision. At breakfast, she stood up and addressed her family.

"Guys, I am a vegetarian. I can't change that. I've tried. I can't. So you can either accept me for who I am or leave me alone."

Humphrey and Kate looked concerned. Heidi looked angry, and David looked embarrassed to be related to her. Overall, Daisy's family didn't take the news well. Heidi tackled her sister, pushing her down the cliff, right where Lily was walking.

"Oof!" Lily fell on her stomach and was winded for a few minutes. She looked up to see what had knocked her down.

"What are you doing here," she asked Daisy, who stood up shakily.

"I'm sorry, Aunt Lily! Heidi just pushed me over the cliff because I told my family I wanted to be a vegetarian!"

"You're a WHAT?"

Daisy jumped when Lily screamed in her ear.

"I'm sorry, dear. Did you really say you were a vegetarian?"

"Yes. I can't stand killing another living, breathing thing that has feelings. You can't change my mind. I'm going to play with my new friends now," Daisy said calmly, getting over the shock. Or was she just numb? Leaving the long-furred white wolf tipping her head curiously, Daisy ran off to meet up with the vegetarians, where they were teaching her how to make daisy necklaces. As she concentrated on linking the flowers, she felt relieved. For once, she didn't have to think about her family, or her ex-friends, or…

Daisy chased those thoughts out of her head and finished her necklace. She tried it on, pleased at how the yellow centers complimented her tan coat. The other vegetarians had finished their creations, and they were strutting around and making fools of themselves. They felt they could, because when were they ever going to get mates? There was one vegetarian who got a mate-Sage had paired up with that goofy Omega last year. Now they rarely saw her. Daisy shrugged and joined in, kicking her legs out and singing a nonsense song. The squirrels twirled around in the middle of the circle.

Then the merriment was cut short. A rock, flung from afar, hit Daisy. She looked up to see one of her brother's friends, a stocky, spiky-haired bully.

"That oughta knock some sense into your meat-deprived brain!"

Daisy's hackles raised and she pawed the ground, ready to shoot that rock back at him.

"No," Ashia said softly, resting her tail on the pup's shoulders.

"But he was throwing rocks at us! Shouldn't we do something about it?"

"We'll get in trouble. Who are they going to believe, an Alpha or a bunch of hippies?"

"But…"

"You get used to it," Ashia mumbled as she slunk away, her tail low. Daisy reluctantly followed her.

"Yeah, that's right. Keep on walking," the bully taunted. Daisy had to force her paws to continue, instead of leap and attack. _Why does it have to be this way? What's so wrong with us? Surely we have something to offer the pack, if they'd just give us a chance._


	5. Chapter 5

As Daisy grew older, she became used to her new lifestyle. She learned to ignore the bullying and focus on nature, how the leaves changed in the fall and the ants that marched up the trees. She also learned to stay away from fermented berries, because they made her head dizzy and her vision swim.

But something seemed to be missing. She couldn't place it, though. It would be nice to have a family, but that wasn't it. Then she remembered that incident with the spiky haired bully months ago. She had thought to herself that if only she had the chance, she could prove to the pack how useful she was. But of course, the vegetarians were picked last for everything but the most unpleasant tasks (cleaning up after meals, pupsitting the newborns). One day, she confessed her hopes to Ashia.

"I can understand why you would feel that way, but be realistic. Since when have vegetarians ever been useful? It's for the good of the pack," Ashia replied calmly.

"That's what I hate about this. 'It's for the good of the pack.' That's just a lame excuse to keep the freaks out of the way. Sure, we can't hunt, but we can do everything else a wolf can do. We can fight and howl, and we also know how to make flower necklaces! What do they mean by 'the pack?' Aren't we part of the pack too?"

"I like your thinking. The problem is turning those thoughts into action." They both stared at the glittering river and sighed. Then Daisy said, "I'm sure when the opportunity comes we'll know it."

After a long moment of silence, Daisy felt a paw push her into the sluggish river. She bobbed in the water, growling at Ashia, who looked puzzled.

"Wasn't me!"

Daisy let out a half-bark, half-laugh and lunged out of the water, dragging Ashia under with her. They both gasped for air for a second and then proceeded to have a splash war. Then they jumped up on rocks and dove into the water again. That's when Daisy noticed a sharp drop up ahead. She and Ashia struggled against the now strong current as it pushed them closer to the edge. Ashia made it to the riverbank, but Daisy went over. She felt weightless for a second, and her heart skipped a beat when she felt no ground beneath her. Then it suddenly rushed up to meet her, and she thudded into a shallow pool. Looking up, she could see that the drop was only as tall as Ashia was long, if she stretched out. The young wolf breathed a sigh of relief. She only had a sprained shoulder. Ashia helped her up as best she could without opposable thumbs. The friends rested for a moment, then headed into the forest to pick flowers.

Jaislynn, one of the higher ranking wolves, suddenly tore through the woods. Her face was scratched from thorns, but her flanks had even uglier wounds from the enemy wolves following closely behind. The vegetarians ran faster than they had ever run in their lives. They hid inside a fallen log, knowing they couldn't help. They were peace loving; they never bothered to learn fighting moves. Finally, the barely alive heather gray wolf lay on the ground and stopped breathing. Her attackers ran off, grinning savagely.

When they were gone, Jaislynn's chest rose and fell. She was breathing again! She had faked her death to escape, but now she was severely wounded. Daisy felt faint. She had never seen such a deep scratch! Was that bone? No, it had to be her eyes playing tricks on her. _It's all in your head, Daisy. It's all in your head. She's not that badly hurt. She'll be okay._ But Jaislynn staggered to her feet and limped very heavily toward Daisy's parents' cave. Ashia scooped up some sharp-smelling plants growing on the log and hurried after her. Daisy followed.

"Wait," Ashia called. She showed Jaislynn the herbs. "These will help you heal. I use them on the squirrels."

Jaislynn wrinkled her nose and trudged on.

"It's yarrow. It will help keep the wound from getting infected."

"There's no way I'm letting you touch me with that poison!"

"You think it's poison? Look," Ashia said, purposely cutting herself on a thorn; it was a tiny cut on her pad. She squeezed a drop of yarrow sap onto the wound. She sucked in air through her teeth; it must have stung. Then she looked up at Jaislynn. "See? If it were poison, I wouldn't have used it on myself. There's plenty here for you."

"Fine. If it will keep you out of my fur," Jaislynn relented. Ashia and Daisy spread the sap on the deep scratch on Jaislynn's flank. Jaislynn squealed. If it stung a little on a tiny thorn stab, it must really hurt now, Daisy thought. She gave the wolf a sympathetic look.

"Thanks guys, but I really have to get going. I have to report this," she said as she went on a bit faster. Ashia nodded.

The next day, Daisy noticed that the sentries were doubled. She felt a bit uneasy. Would the enemies see this as a challenge? She shrugged the thought away. Fear wouldn't do her any good.

The next day, Daisy heard war howls. Obviously the extra guards had provoked the other pack. Or maybe it was something else. Daisy didn't know and didn't care; suddenly the clearing she was sleeping in was filled with very, very angry wolves. She took advantage of her small stature and slunk under the thundering paws, stifling yelps of pain when they dug their claws into her face, tail, and paws. She saw the other vegetarians waving her over urgently. They were under a bush on the edge of the battlefield. Daisy wished she could cover her ears to the painful cries of wounded warriors on both sides. She cowered under the bush, breathing in the scent of grass. The scent usually calmed her, but now it was tainted with the scents of blood and fear.

A black wolf with a white spot on his chest limped over to the bush next to them. His leg was in bad condition, and he seemed dizzy from loss of blood. Daisy remembered the time she had a gash on her leg from a rock. One of the vegetarians had wrapped it with long leaves and grasses and pressed gently on it with one paw. She couldn't remember which one it was, since she was in shock. But she also remembered two bodies pressed against her for warmth. She had felt so cold…

Daisy shook her head. A pack member needed help, and she wasn't about to sit there and watch him die. She ripped some leaves and grasses from the ground and crawled over to the hurt wolf. He was unconscious. That wasn't a good sign. She began to make the bandage when she detected a faint scent of yarrow. Of course! Yarrow would be necessary to make sure the wound healed properly! But the plant was in the clearing, on the edge of the battle. Daisy was already too close to the fighting for comfort. She found a stick and used it to pull part of the plant out. It would be just barely enough, but it would have to do.

A few minutes later, the bandage was finished and Daisy was applying pressure to the wound. The blood soaked through, and she looked frantically around for another leaf. A larger paw slid one toward her. She looked up to see Ashia give her a small smile. Daisy mouthed _Thank you_ and used the other leaf. She shuddered. Blood disturbed her. But finally, the gash had stopped bleeding. Now her patient was shivering. She and Ashia pressed against him, sharing their body heat. Then he woke up, shocked to see vegetarians laying next to him.

"What the rabies are you guys doing," he said angrily.

"Calm down. We were helping you get better. Daisy made a bandage for your leg and used an herb to help prevent infection, and we shared our body heat with you because you were in shock," Ashia explained.

"Oh… Well thanks, I guess. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a pack to defend."

"Oh no you don't! You might reopen that wound. You'd better lay here."

"But look at all those enemies! I need to help my pack!"

"It's our pack too," Daisy said calmly. "But would you rather die and not be able to defend your pack in the future?"

"But…Oh, okay." The black wolf sighed and lay back down, wincing at the pain in his leg.

Daisy glanced outside. There were bodies all over-no! Some of them were breathing! She saw that there were wounds she knew how to treat. Maybe if she could heal those warriors in time, they might be able to fight again and they would win the battle! But the battle was still going strong. The savage growling and the cries of the wounded made Daisy shrink back. Then she saw two familiar shapes in the clearing; her brother and sister!


	6. Chapter 6

Suddenly, the fighting disappeared in her mind's eye. She narrowed her eyes with determination and advanced toward her brother, who was the closest. She shouldered through the knot of wolves, ignoring the jaws that snapped at her and drew blood. Her brother might hate her, but they were still kin.

Then, a tan body fell in front of her. She froze to avoid colliding with the she-wolf. This warrior's leg bent at a place it wasn't supposed to bend. She looked at her brother. Where was his ear? The blood drained from her face. She closed her eyes as the ground lurched and she was thrown off her paws. She was falling, falling, falling, spinning, spinning…

Her eyes flew open. She was facing a red wolf that looked more like a fox. He wasn't from her pack. She growled a warning and raised her hackles. The wolf stood between the tan she-wolf and her brother. Then suddenly, jaws snapped very close to her face. Instinctively, she lunged for those jaws. Instead of the enemy's jaws closing over her mouth, it was the other way around. She flung the attacker, who was staring wide-eyed with surprise, aside. Then she grabbed the tan wolf by the scruff and dragged her quickly out of the battlefield. She tried to simultaneously make sure the broken leg wasn't moved and avoid looking at it. Finally, panting through a mouthful of fur, she deposited the new patient at the bush where the black wolf was laying beside Ashia. Ashia perked her ears.

Daisy shrugged sheepishly.

"I figured we could be of some use by helping to heal the wounded," she explained.

"Why? They never helped us," a new voice snorted. Daisy glared at Ashia's friend.

"This is no time for arguing," Ashia growled. "We need to help them."

The tan wolf turned watery and pain-filled eyes to Daisy. She saw her reflection; streaked with her own blood, scared, concerned, and weary. Then she looked at the battle outside. It seemed hopeless.

"This is hopeless," Ashia's friend said over the cries of pain from the tan wolf. Ashia was putting the broken bone back in place and fashioning a splint out of sticks. Then the patient lay her head on the ground, panting.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I thought I was a goner. Thank you so much." Then she sighed and closed her eyes, her flanks rising and falling gently. Daisy watched her sleep. Then she turned to Ashia's friend.

"You know, we might not be able to save every hurt wolf in the world. But it means the world to her," she said, angling her ears toward the sleeping wolf. She saw the other vegetarian close her eyes for a few seconds. Then she opened them and nodded.

"Fine. I'm in. You could use some extra paws."

"Then it's settled. I'll go out and get the wounded out of the way. You and Ashia can treat them," Daisy said. Then she darted out into the battlefield. She numbly pushed wolves aside until she reached her brother.

"Daisy," he said, surprised. "What are you doing?" His voice had gotten deeper, and his shoulders were much broader, and his face looked lopsided with only one ear.

"I'm trying to help you," Daisy insisted, trying to lead him to the bushes. To her disbelief, he pushed her aside and leaped away to help his friend, who was battling another wolf twice his size. Daisy whimpered. Then she remembered the hurt wolves dotting the clearing. They all needed her help, too. She helped wolf after wolf into the bushes, but she made sure they were only from her own pack. The enemies were winning, but she noticed at least five wolves emerge from the bushes, ready to fight again. The sight gave her a sense of purpose.

She held the image in her mind as the enemy grew weary and began retreating. The wounded came less and less. The battle was a horrifying blur. She didn't see her brother or sister again during it, or if she did, she didn't notice. She vaguely remembered her own jaws snapping, her claws slashing at menacing eyes to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. She found no thrill in it, only a feeling like a stone in her stomach. She had caused injuries while trying to heal them. When the battle was over, everyone found new energy. They howled so joyfully that it sent chills up and down Daisy's spine. But she didn't join in the party. She was so exhausted, her legs gave out more than once. She saw that Ashia and her friends felt the same way.

"One of the warriors told me that this whole thing started because they thought we were stealing their prey. Crazy, huh," Ashia mused.

"Yeah," Daisy said, barely audible. "Go organic."

They laughed quietly. Then Kate appeared, grinning even though she was probably going to develop some ugly scars.

"We couldn't have won without you guys! I'm so proud of you all," she said, her joy overflowing. She addressed all the vegetarians when she spoke, but she was looking at Daisy. The look in her eyes was one of love and pride. Then she whispered in Daisy's ear.  
"I'm so sorry I let stereotypes cloud my judgment! You were so brave out there, heading into the thick of things again and again just to save the very wolves that shun you," she confessed. Then someone called her name. "Gotta go," Kate said as she ducked out of the bush. Two more faces appeared. One was missing an ear, and one had an eye that was swollen shut. Daisy's knees grew weak with relief. Her brother and sister were alive!

"Do you think you could help us, _sister,_" the she wolf said. Daisy grinned.

"Okay! Now, that eye's probably gonna be fine, but your vision will be cloudy for a while.." Daisy rambled on, explaining what she was doing to a gathering crowd of onlookers. She felt her memories take her back to that day in the meadow so long ago, when she had her first hunting lesson. Winston was showing them how to stalk prey. Now she felt like Winston, and when she looked into the bright eyes of a tan pup, she saw herself. But she didn't skip a beat. After all, what she was doing was for the good of the pack. _All_ of the pack.


End file.
